If you live in the Pacific Northwest, you can’t escape the news cycles about downtown Portland. Sometimes, you can’t even escape the news cycles nationally — depending on who is carping about the Rose City. But it’s not all doom loops, my friend. Any number of folks are hard at work, reinvigorating Portland’s city core. Like Jeff Swickard. Who snapped up the iconic Big Pink. And the building next door. In a big vote of confidence for downtown Portland. (And spending about $125 million to do so.) And now, thanks to those efforts, he’s landed a very startuppy UpStart tenant for his property.
UpStart Collective, Portland’s co-founder workspace and startup community hub, today announced it will officially relocate its headquarters to the US Bancorp Tower, widely known as “Big Pink,” beginning March 2, 2026. The new downtown location will serve as the organization’s sole operating site, marking a significant milestone in its continued growth and commitment to supporting early-stage founders across the region.
“When we started the UpStart Collective, we did so based on the model of spaces like Capital Factory (Austin), 1871 (Chicago), and Station F (Paris) in which all of the different parts of the startup ecosystem could be found in one building,” said Josh Carter, co-founder of UpStart Collective, told Portland Business Journal. “It was tough to do that having two locations in Portland. Being in Big Pink and having the entire fifth floor allows us to get closer to that goal.”
The new consolidated UpStart Collective — the organization will be shuttering its inaugural spot in the Central Eastside as well as its presence at Portland State University alongside the Portland Metro Region Innovation Hub — will inhabit the fifth floor of the 42 floor structure, taking up residence in a space vacated by New Relic, the publicly held software company that once had a sizable Portland presence prior to the pandemic. (Alliteration!)
“UpStart Collective is doing important work across the Pacific Northwest by supporting early-stage technology companies and the entrepreneurs behind them. Organizations like theirs help transform strong ideas into enduring businesses, creating jobs and long-term economic strength for our region. When founders are given the right environment and backing, the entire community benefits.” said Jeff Swickard in a press release. “Their decision to establish another office in downtown Portland is a meaningful statement of confidence in the future of this city. Revitalization happens when committed organizations choose to show up, invest, and build. We believe deeply in Portland’s potential. We are grateful UpStart Collective has chosen Big Pink, and we look forward to supporting their work as part of the broader effort to strengthen and energize downtown for the long-term.”
For more on the move, read the UpStart press release or the coverage in the Portland Business Journal.
